The following candidates are standing in Nechells:
| Party | Surname | Forename(s) |
|---|---|---|
| Green Party | Assheton | Janet Elizabeth |
| Liberal Democrats | Iqbal | Shazad |
| Patriotic Socialist Party | McAuliffe | John |
| Labour Party | Mosquito | Yvonne Maria |
| Conservative Party | Turner | John Robert |
A Birmingham wide response has been received from the Conservative Party, the Green Party and the Labour Party.
John McAuliffe (Patriotic Socialist Party) has given us this response:
- Yes. I envision a means for people to both save money and live a healthier life style, and cycling is one way of doing both. Saving money helps a strained living standards and tackles a life style which encourages less and less physical movement, resulting in a rainbow of health problems. Encouraging cycling similar to that of other European cities would be a very positive thing for Birmingham.
- If elected, I will certainly support increased funding in order to carry out a coherent plan that is based on a functioning model, of which there are many to chose from all across Europe. If the target of £10 is not met, I will be satisfied with increased funding regardless as it will be a first step towards implementing the plan.
- This is something that cannot be applied homogeneously. Crossings must be examined individually to determine the frequency of people crossing and the business of traffic. We cannot have many people crossing a busy road where the button will be pressed a number of times every minute over the course of an hour. Traffic will become a problem if that is the case. I support the under 10 second response where it is adequate to do so, such as residential areas. Main roads need more focus so as not to cause a build up of rush hour traffic.
- Similar case as above, my ward consists of busy main streets and smaller streets. 20 mph is a good idea in heavily residential areas and roads with schools on them, in which case I would support it. Slower limits on major roads would be counter productive to reducing traffic congestion. Progress would have to be made on increasing cycling as an alternative choice before hindering drivers in terms of speed on major roads.
- Due to the difficulty at enforcing countermeasures to rat running, the ultimate solution to dealing with this issue is discouraging excessive car usage (i.e. by promoting cycling and walking as alternatives). I will support discouraging it as much as possible, but 'closure' of roads is a difficult concept. How can rat runners be distinguished by those genuinely trying to get to the area? How would closing the roads effect the residents' ability to travel? And what measures would be taken to close the roads?
- Yes. This is the first measure to take to encourage cycling and reducing car traffic on a local scale. It can be expanded with connection to cycling links on busier roads later on.
